Rufiji HDSS

The Rufiji Demographic Surveillance Area (DSA) extends between latitudes 7.47° and 8.03°S and longitudes 38.62° and 39.17°E. Is home of more than 97,000 individuals living in 38 villages. Rufiji District is one of six districts of the Coast Region, 178km south of Dar es Salaam (Figure 1). The district has an area of approximately 14,500 square kilometers and a population of 203,102 people. The district is largely rural though the population is clustered around Utete (District headquarters), Ikwiriri, Kibiti and Bungu townships. The population density for the district and Rufiji HDSS are 14 and 39 per square km respectively. The mean household size for the whole district is about 5 persons. A prominent feature of the district is the Rufiji River which divides the district into approximately equal halves. The Rufiji HDSS is on the northern side of the river where the majority of the population lives and is more easily accessible throughout the year while communities south of the river as well as those in the delta may be inaccessible for varying periods during long rains. There are several ethnic groups in Rufiji